Last month, we went to Spain for a week. It was nice to warm up our old bones to the sun before returning to Calgary and get ready for the frigid winter. We had a lot of sun and a lot of fun. I even had a tan for a few days after our return.

I was really impressed by this country unknown to me even though it is only one hour away by car from where I grew up. I had to live in Canada before getting an opportunity to visit Madrid. Life is strange…

We drank a lot of Sangria and I had to find a recipe as soon as we landed back in Calgary.

Here are a couple of things I have learned in the last few days where we have six inches of snow, an outside temperature of -29C (-20F) and little humidity:

• If you have a fresh layer of snow, and you are still at work, be prepared to walk because the bus service will be impacted. Forty minutes walk by -10C (14F) is not that bad even with snow.
• When driving downhill and braking using ABS, don’t expect to stop without sliding for twenty yards or so.
• Plan for a meter clearance around your vehicle when manoeuvering at slow speed because your car is bound to slide even when you do a simple three points turn in a street. This make parallel parking more interesting and obstacle avoidance more fun.
• Don’t forget to plug in your car so that the oil does not coalesce.
• If you have some single pane windows because you live in an older house, expect ice on the inside of the window.
• You may not be able to open your back door fully because of the snow.
• Be prepared to shovel snow for one hour to comply with city bylaws.
• Expect a lot of static electricity when petting your cat.
• Don’t touch snow without gloves
• Enjoy the Subaru Outback, because it makes driving in cold weather and snow so much fun and safe.
• Calgarians start to consider -20C weather somewhat cold but explain to you that it will get colder.

Overall, I found those new experiences very enjoyable and the biggest drawback is the time you have to spend dressing up and down when you leave or enter the house. Once outside, you don’t want to realize that you forgot something inside.

Right now, Houston and Calgary have the same temperature outside if you ignore the pesty minus sign.

This morning, I called some of my friends and neighbors in Houston and I was glad to hear that Ike moved over Houston without too much damage, at least in the area where I used to live.

However, I must exclusively report that Ike has affected Calgary in unsuspected ways and I have unaltered photographic proof to illustrate my discovery.

This morning, Melissa and I traveled to the South East of Calgary and we came across a building stuck in the ground reminding me of the scene in the Wizard of Oz right after Dorothy arrives in Munchkinland and in which the ruby-slippered Wicked Witch of the East get smashed by Dorothy’s house.

I am convinced that Houston is now missing a church and that this church can be found in Calgary.

It appears that some people try to discredit my findings and have been too far in claiming that “Device to Root Out Evil, a work in steel, aluminum and glass by New York artist Dennis Oppenheim, looks like an upside-down New England church with its steeple planted in the ground.”

You will certainly agree with me and I need your help to locate the site in Houston where this church comes from. Please report your findings in the comments to this post.

Yesterday was a wonderful day with great weather and a nice temperature of 27C (80F). Melissa and I decided to leave for Lake Louise around noon.

We took the long way out, road 1A, all the way to Canmore, where we stopped for a quick lunch. Then, after entering Banff National park we took the scenic route via Baker Creek where we found a restaurant serving a very nice apple pie with blackberries and ice cream. We drank our tea and coffee outside, enjoying the sunny weather.

Arriving near lake Louise, the temperature was 23C (73F) and we noticed a few dark clouds.

I just had time to park the car before the temperature instantly dropped to 11C (52F) and we found ourselves in an hailstorm that lasted for a good ten minutes and was followed by dogs and cats falling from the sky.

Let’s just say that canoeing will be for another day…

I guess I am of the lucky kind. I am moving to Calgary with four cats in tow on Tuesday and that’s the day mother Nature has decided to send Edouard our way. I guess, I was not stressed enough by the move…